Hearing damage is a real and unfortunate effect of long-term exposure to loud noise. Noise is a hazard of industrial workers and workers of any occupation who are repeatedly exposed to loud noise.
Hearing damage from noise is fully preventable when the right precautions are taken from the start. Regular hearing tests to evaluate any early signs of hearing loss, as well as everyday preventative measures such as the use of ear plugs go a long way toward prevention of permanent hearing loss.
Industrial Hearing Test Requirements
Organizations such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have enacted requirements and procedures for hearing conservation in an effort to standardize hearing safety practices and reduce the incidence of preventable hearing damage. Some states also have their own guidelines, as well as the Department of Defense.
In most cases, OSHA requires that employees who are exposed to a time weighted average (TWA) of 85 dB be part of a hearing conservation program which includes hearing testing and employee training. Industrial manufacturers are also required to report evaluation results. Official hearing conservation standards are listed in OSHA CFR 29 1910.95 & MSHA Part 62.
Industrial Hearing Conservation Programs
Do you know failure to test and/or report noise exposure levels and the impact on employees can cost companies thousands in legal fees and federal fines? At Helton Hearing Care, we offer an industrial hearing testing program to different companies, including government agencies. Our state-of-the-art equipment and testing suites are annually calibrated to meet the national standard. Our industrial hearing test is performed by an audiologist assistant who is certified by the Council of Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) and is supervised by a doctor of audiology.
Our CAOHC certified audiologist assistant is trained to detect possible indications of early hearing loss as well as provide training for your employees. The training is very specific to occupational settings only and is not applicable in non-occupational practices. If a possible hearing problem is detected, our technician will refer your employee for further tests by our doctors of audiology.
Basic education and training for employees may include how to properly fit and wear hearing protection devices. Some employees may require more sophisticated and customized hearing protection. Environmental modifications on the part of the employer may also be in order.
Hearing evaluations are an important part of keeping industrial working environments safe for employees. We recommend that each company needs to find industrial hearing testing solutions that work for them.
If your agency needs to to set up the industrial hearing test, give us a call today at (406) 586-0914. We can accommodate a large group of your employees and get the testing done in a timely manner.